Tongs for holding wound elements



April 10, 1934. CAMMEN 1,953,926

TONGS FOR HOLDING WOUND ELEMENTS Filed Dec. 10, 1932 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 10, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TONGS FOR HOLDING WOUND ELEMENTS Leon Cammen, New York, N. Y., assignor to This invention relates totongs for holding and retaining the convolutions of an element formed of elastic material, metallic or otherwise, by helically winding the same upon a mandrel or the i like of a winding machine, so that the wound element may be removed from the mandrel in its wound condition and maintained in the dimensions to which it was wound.

For certain uses to which helically wound elements may be put, it is essential that the wound dimensions of the element be maintained after the winding operation. In order to maintain these dimensions when it is being removed from the core or mandrel upon which it is wound and thereafter, it is necessary that the element be restrained from expanding either axially or radially, particularly if it is formed of elastic material.

An example of a helically wound element in which the axial and radial expansion tendencies of the material must be restrained in order that the winding dimensions of the element may be retained, is the hollow cylindrical forarninous metallic element particularly adapted for surface tension dialysis of commingled liquid masses described in my copending application Serial No. 638,329, filed October 18, 1932. Such an element is constructed of a continuous fiat strip of metal transversely grooved or knurled on one flat surface thereof and wound edgewise helically so that the contiguous smooth and grooved flat surfaces form a myriad of like foramina extending from one cylindrical surface to the other of the completed element.

It will be readily understood that even slight spreading of the helical convolutions ofsuch an element axially or radially, or in both directions, will destroy the desired uniformity and dimensions of the foramina which are necessary to secure the desired surface tension dialysis of commingled liquid masses; and it is the principal object of this invention to providea tong or holder for securely holding and retaining the convolutions of such a helically wound element in the same relation in which they were wound on the winding machine while his being removed from the mandrel, and thereafter.

To these ends and in accordance with the invention a tong or holder is provided which comprises a plurality of sets of spring-pressed gripping jaws arranged and connected in tandem and provided with handles whereby the jaws may be spread apart. The spacing of the sets of jaws is so arranged as to conform to the predetermined length of the completed element so that each set of jaws embraces the convolutions at opposite ends thereof, and the curvature of each set of jaws accommodates the curvature of the outer surface of the hollow cylindricalelement.

Each set of jaws is arranged to engage the surface of the wound element at three spaced points, so that a firm grip of the jaws is assured. A limited degree of lost motion is provided between the jaws of one set to accommodate any slight variation in outside dimension or curvature of the corresponding end of the element as compared to the outside dimension and curvature of the other end of the element; which variations may have resulted from irregularities during manufacture.

It will be seen that the holder of this invention may be emplaced on a helical element formed of a strip of metal unwound upon a mandrel, before the element is removed from the mandrel, and that the tong securely retains the element in its wound condition by preventing it from expanding axially or radially, and will maintain it to its finished dimensions for an indefinite period'of time while subsequent manufacturing operations are conducted thereon. For example, 30 by means of the holder of this invention, the convolutions of the helically wound foraminous element described in the aforementioned copending application may be restrained to its wound dimensions while the end plates and tie rods which 35. support the element may be mounted and secured thereon. For this purpose the sets of jaws of the holder may be recessed or shaped to accommodate the tie rods or other members which comprise the structure of the completed element. However, the tong or holder of this invention is equally well adapted for handling wound elements for other purposes.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference may be made to the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention which is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a side view of the tong or holder of this invention, and it also illustrates the manner in which the tong securely holds and retains a helically wound element to its wound dimen sions;

Figure 2 is a transverse section thereof as seen along the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an inside view of the holder as seen along the line 33 of Figure 2; and.

Figure 4 is a transverse section through the holder as seen along the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

In the drawing numeral 10 designates a shaft 110 upon the opposite ends of which are mounted a set of clamping jaws 11 and 12, adapted to be actuated by a hook handle 13. The jaws l1 and 12 are connected together at their ends by a rod 14, whereby the two jaws 11 and 12 are held in definite spaced relation and are prevented from being angularly displaced with respect to each other. The extreme end of the jaw 11 is provided with a flat gripping surface 15 which projects beyond the remainder of the curved inner surface of the jaw 11. Jaw 12 is similarly constructed, as will be explained hereinafter.

Rotatably mounted upon rod 10 is a tubular sleeve 16 upon one end of which is mounted a jaw 17 having a flat gripping surface 18 at its free end and being recessed on its inner surface so that the gripping surface 18 projects radially beyond the remainder of the inner surface of the jaw 17. That portion of jaw 11 which is adjacent the pin 14 is extended to provide a gripping surface 25, so that jaws l1 and 17 jointly grip a circular surface at three points, namely 15, 18 and 25. Jaw 17 is also recessed at 26 for a purpose to be described hereinafter.

Jaw 17 is actuated by a handle 19 which is arranged adjacent the hook handle 13 for convenient gripping. Extending between handles 13 and 19 so as to spring press the sets of jaws is a coil spring 20, which is centered on lugs 21 and 22 provided on handles 13 and 19. respectively. In order to prevent overthrow of the jaws 17 and 11 toward each other under the influence of spring 20, jaw 17 is provided with an extension finger 23 which lies in the path of movement of an abutment 24 on jaw 12. Engagement of finger 23 and abutment 24 accordingly limits the closing movement of jaws 11 and 17.

Mounted on the other end of rotatable sleeve 16 is a collar 27 having a radial lever 28. Journaled upon shaft 10 between collar 27 and the hub of jaw 12 is another jaw 29 which is complementary to jaw 12. Jaw 12 is provided with a fiat gripping surface 30 at its extreme end and jaw 29 is provided with a similar gripping surface 31 at its extreme end, the inner surfaces of jaws 12 and 29 being recessed so that the gripping surfaces 30 and 31 project radially inwardly beyond the normal inner surfaces thereof. Also, jaw 12 is provided with a second gripping surface 32, so that jaws 12 and 29 cooperate to grip a circular surface at three spaced points.

Jaw 29 is provided with a lateral extension 33 which lies in the path of finger 28 and these parts are normally urged into engagement by a coil spring 34 interposed between arm 35 of jaw 29 and arm 36 of jaw 12. The spring 34 is centered by lugs 37 and 38 on arms 35 and 36, respectively. Upon reference to Figure 4 it will be seen that the finger 28 on sleeve 16 lies inside of the lateral extension 33 of jaw 29, so that al= though inward movement of jaw 29 by its spring 34 is limited by the engagement between finger 28 and extension 33, outward movement of jaw 29 is substantially unrestricted. Thus jaws 12 and 29 may relatively adjust themselves to accommodate slight variations in the diameters of the opposite ends of the element to be gripped. This arrangement does not interfere with the manual opening of the two sets of jaws of the device, because as handles 13 and 19 are moved together, finger 28 engages extension 33 and moves jaw 29 along with parallel jaw 17.

In utilizing the tong or holder of this invention the two sets of jaws of the latter are designed so as to be spaced apart in accordance with the length of the element to be gripped and held thereby, such as the helically wound element 40 illustrated in the drawing, the convolutions of which are to be restrained from expanding axially and radially. Assuming that the element 40 is a helix wound upon the mandrel of a winding machine and it is desired to remove it therefrom without permitting the element to expand axially or radially as a result of the elasticity of the material from which it was wound, the operator grasps the coil holder of this invention by the handles 13 and 19, and presses the latter together to expand the two sets of jaws 11-17 and 12-29. They then may be passed over the coil 40 in registration with the ends thereof.

When the pressure on the handles 13 and 19 is released the springs 20 and 34 force the corresponding sets of opposite jaws toward each other to grip the corresponding end convolutions of the coil. Accordingly, one end of the coil is gripped at three spaced points by gripping surfaces 15, 18 and 25 of jaws 11 and 17 and the other end of the coil is gripped at three spaced points by gripping surfaces 30, 31 and 32 of jaws 12 and 29.

If one end of the element 40 happens to be slightly larger in diameter than the other end, due to inaccuracies in winding the strip material, jaw 29, being permitted a certain degree of lost motion between lever 28 and extension 33, accordingly accommodates itself to these disparities in diameter of the element and both ends thereof are tightly gripped.

After the holder of this invention has been emplaced on the element 40, the latter may be removed from the mandrel and being restrained against expansion axially and radially, may be transported to a location where the next operation is to be performed thereon. The end of the handle 13 is provided with a hook for conveniently suspending the holder upon a conveyor or the like.

If the element 40 is to be utilized as a dialyzing element for example, in accordance with the disclosure of the aforementioned copending application, the end plates 41 and 42 may be placed over the corresponding ends of the coil while it is still being held by the tongs and these end plates may be secured together by rods or bolts 43 circumferentially spaced 120 apart. As illustrated in Figure 2, two of these rods or bolts 43 may be locatedadjacent the ends of the jaws of the coil holder, while the third may be passed through the openings in the jaws of the holder and the surface of the element 40, which are provided by recesses 26 and 39. After the end plates 41 and 42 have been tightened down to permanently hold the element 40 in fixed condition, the coil holder may be removed from the element 40 by again pressing handles 13 and 19 together to retract the gripping jaws in the manner described.

While the tong or holder of this invention has been described as particularly adapted for securely holding and retaining the convolutions of a helically wound foraminous element against radial and axial expansion, it may be employed with equal facility for holding similarly wound elements adapted for any other purpose.

I claim:

1. Tongs for securely holding and retaining in wound condition the contiguous convolutions of a helically wound element, comprising the combination of a shaft, a pair of sets of opposite jaws mounted in spaced relation on the shaft, means connecting at least one jaw of each set to the corresponding jaw of the other set against relacorresponding jaw of the other set said means preventing relative angular movement; one of the jaws of one set being angularly movable relatively to the corresponding jaw of the other set, a spring for each set of jaws, loose connections between the relatively movable jaw and the said corresponding jaw providing lost motion between them, and means on one set of jaws for retracting both sets of jaws against the pressure of the corresponding springs.

LEON CAMMEN. 

